SPAIN INVESTIGATES FIVE BOMBS CLAIMED BY ETA THAT

UNCLAS MADRID 000798 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE, E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER ASEC SP SUBJECT: SPAIN INVESTIGATES FIVE BOMBS CLAIMED BY ETA THAT EXPLODED JULY 20 ¶1. Five small bombs exploded in Northern Spain on July 20, four at popular resorts in Cantabria and one in Getxo, a Bilbao suburb. The sites included a Red Cross life-saving station, an ATM, seaside promenades and other tourist areas. According to the press, one woman was slightly injured when she was hit by a rock sent flying by an explosion near a golf course and a pregnant woman was treated for shock. A caller claiming to represent ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna or Basque Country and Freedom) phoned in advance to warn of the impending explosions. ¶2. Traditionally, terrorist organization ETA has not hesitated to carry out attacks during the busy summer holiday season. These attacks do not indicate an up-tick in activity, but rather more of the same type of low intensity attacks that characterize ETA's terrorist campaign over the long term. Other underlying factoQ include ETA's frustration that negotiations with the Zapatero government are not moving forward. ETA also seeks to put pressure on the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) since they don't want to see Basque Lehkendari Ibarretxe or other political leaders get credit for pushing a referendum leading to more power for the autonomous community. Usually, ETA seeks to avoid civilian casualties and calls in advance to give warning of attacks against civilian targets, as was the case in the July 20 attacks. ETA last claimed responsibility for a May 14 bomb that exploded without warning at a Civil Guard barracks in Legutiano that killed one police officer and injured four others. ¶3. President Zapatero has ruled out further peace talks and says that the terrorists only option is a unilateral surrender. Interior Minister Rubalcaba said, in warning, "joining ETA is the surest path to a long jail sentence." Aguirre